Mr. Obi Aguocha, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Monitoring and Evaluation and representative for Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South Federal Constituency of Abia State, has issued a strong caution to Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo regarding his recent efforts to halt the Monday sit-at-home order in the South-East region
Aguocha warns that the governor's approach risks unsettling a fragile peace, reigniting fear and resistance, and potentially plunging the area into renewed violence and criminality.
The Monday sit-at-home order, which originated in 2021 following the arrest and extradition of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has long disrupted economic activities in the South-East, with businesses, schools, and markets closing weekly out of fear of enforcement by armed groups.
Although IPOB officially suspended the directive, compliance has persisted in many areas due to ongoing insecurity.
Over the past three years, gradual progress has been made through stakeholder efforts, including those led by Aguocha, to restore normalcy and encourage unrestricted operations in markets and plazas across the region.
In his statement, Aguocha criticized Soludo's interventions as "misguided ordinances and actions executed in the most unconstructive and unacceptable manner." He emphasized that these measures have "unleashed terror on an army of silent agitators who, for so long, had helped to abate the significance of the Monday sit-at-home rituals."
Aguocha further argued that no state government has the constitutional authority to compel private business owners to open or close their shops, as such decisions are protected under fundamental rights and are not subject to state, labor, or market-union mandates.
"Gov Soludo cannot force, punish or compel private business owners to close or open their shops, or to trade or refrain from trading," Aguocha stated.
"Until the Nigerian state genuinely and sincerely addresses the unjust detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the bias in the administration of criminal justice, the marginalisation and entrenched hostility against the Igbo people, and the root causes of youth agitation, we must brace ourselves for a vicious cycle of resentment."
Aguocha called on the Federal Government to tackle the underlying issues fueling the agitation, including Kanu's continued detention, to prevent a cycle of resentment and violence.
He also warned against attempts to coerce political support from the South-East, asserting, "If nothing urgent is done, no one should expect votes from the region on the basis of being coerced, manipulated or compelled. Our votes will count, and we will defend them, even at the cost of our lives."
This caution comes amid broader regional tensions, with other stakeholders, including IPOB, previously warning Soludo against sanctioning residents for observing the sit-at-home and urging respect for individual choices.
Experts have advised Soludo to adopt dialogues with traders and communities as a more effective strategy to manage and end the practice.